CodeForge Full-Stack Guide with AI: Spring Boot, React, AWS using ChatGPT-5, Amazon Q & GitHub Copilot

🚀 CodeForge: Building Full-Stack Applications with ChatGPT-5, Amazon Q & GitHub Copilot

Hello Developers 👋

In my 25+ years as an architect working with Java, AWS, and modern frontend frameworks, I’ve seen technologies rise, fall, and transform. But one truth has always remained:

Technology evolves, but learning never stops.

That’s why I created CodeForge — not just a GitHub repo, but a learning playground where anyone can experiment, practice full-stack development, and grow into a stronger engineer.

Today, I’ll walk you through what CodeForge is, how you can set it up, and why this journey can change the way you build software.

🌐 What is CodeForge?

Think of CodeForge as a bridge between theory and practice.

• Backend: Spring Boot 3 (Java 21) — clean, modern APIs
• Frontend: React / Next.js 14 — powerful UI development
• Cloud: AWS — scalable and production-ready
• Testing: Unit, BDD, End-to-End — because quality matters

CodeForge evolves with the help of AI tools like Amazon Q and ChatGPT. AI speeds up boilerplate, explains patterns, and helps you focus on real problem-solving.

🤖 Why AI Matters in Our Journey

AI doesn’t replace you — it upgrades you.

• Stuck writing repetitive code? → Let AI handle it.
• Unsure of a design pattern? → Ask AI for clarity.
• Need deployment templates? → AI suggests the building blocks.

This means you spend more time on craftsmanship: designing architectures, ensuring scalability, and delivering business value.

🛠️ Getting Started with CodeForge

You can try this right now.

📂 Repo: https://github.com/ganmath/CodeForge.git

✅ Prerequisites

• Java 21 (Temurin/Oracle)
• Maven 3.9+
• Node.js 20+ and npm 10+
• Git
• (Optional) Docker Desktop (if you want a local DB)

# Verify versions
java -version
mvn -v
node -v
npm -v
git --version

1) Clone the Repo

git clone https://github.com/ganmath/CodeForge.git
cd CodeForge

Repo layout (typical):

CodeForge/
├─ backend/    # Spring Boot 3
├─ frontend/   # Next.js 14
└─ tests/      # Integration / E2E scaffolding

2) Configure for Dev

Backend (backend/src/main/resources/application-dev.yml):

server:
  port: 8080
spring:
  profiles:
    active: dev
  data:
    mongodb:
      uri: mongodb://localhost:27017/codeforge
cors:
  allowed-origins: "http://localhost:3000"

Frontend (frontend/.env.local):

NEXT_PUBLIC_API_BASE=http://localhost:8080

Optional Mongo with Docker:

docker run -d --name cf-mongo -p 27017:27017 mongo:7

3) Build

Backend:

cd backend
mvn clean package

Frontend:

cd ../frontend
npm install
npm run build

4) Run

Backend:

cd backend
mvn spring-boot:run
# or
java -jar target/*.jar

Frontend:

cd ../frontend
npm run dev
# Open http://localhost:3000

Verify:

• API health → http://localhost:8080/actuator/health
• Ping → http://localhost:8080/api/ping
• React UI should fetch from backend using NEXT_PUBLIC_API_BASE.

5) Tests

Backend Unit Tests (L0):

cd backend
mvn test

API BDD Tests (L1) (if using Cucumber/REST-assured):

mvn verify -P bdd

Frontend Unit Tests:

cd ../frontend
npm test

End-to-End (L2):

cd tests/e2e
npm install
npx playwright install
npm run e2e

🧭 Teaching Moment: CORS in 60 Seconds

Frontend on port 3000, backend on 8080 often causes CORS errors. Here’s a simple Spring MVC config:

/* Java: CORS Config (MVC) */
@Configuration
public class CorsConfig {
  @Bean
  public WebMvcConfigurer corsConfigurer() {
    return new WebMvcConfigurer() {
      @Override
      public void addCorsMappings(CorsRegistry registry) {
        registry.addMapping("/**")
          .allowedOrigins("http://localhost:3000")
          .allowedMethods("*")
          .allowCredentials(true);
      }
    };
  }
}

For WebFlux, use CorsWebFilter or @CrossOrigin on controllers. Keep CORS strict in production (specific domains only).

🧪 Testing Strategy: The Pyramid That Works

Don’t chase 100% coverage — chase meaningful coverage.

• L0 (Unit/Component): Fast feedback, catches logic bugs.
• L1 (API BDD): Ensures contracts between frontend & backend.
• L2 (End-to-End): Real user journeys across the stack.

Tools to try: JUnit + Mockito, React Testing Library + Jest/Vitest, Cucumber + REST-assured, Playwright/Cypress/Selenide.

☁️ Deploying to AWS (Upcoming)

1. Backend → package JAR → deploy on ECS/Fargate.
2. Frontend → build static → host on S3 + CloudFront.
3. Configs & Secrets → AWS SSM / Secrets Manager.
4. Infra as Code → Terraform.
5. CI/CD → GitHub Actions for build/test/deploy.

✨ The Vision

• Teach modern full-stack development in a way that any developer can follow.
• Build a professional hub on CodeDrivenArchitect.com.
• Show how AI accelerates learning and coding.
• Grow a platform that creates value and revenue through knowledge.

💡 Your Turn

Clone CodeForge. Run it locally. Break it, fix it, and learn from it.

We’ll keep publishing step-by-step guides here, and share shorter insights on LinkedIn for the community.

Repo: https://github.com/ganmath/CodeForge.git

The views expressed here are my own and do not represent those of my employer.